Happening Today
10 a.m. | Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee holds a hearing on bills related to the Department of Developmental Services, with 10 bills on the agenda.
10:15 a.m. | Sen. Ed Markey joins Boston Medical Center leaders for a press conference to discuss why they believe in expanding the Child Tax Credit program through the Build Back Better Act.
11 a.m. | House meets in an informal session and Senate meets without a calendar.
1 p.m. | Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee holds what it bills as its final hearing on mental health-related topics, taking up late-file bills and those discharged by other committees.
Today’s Stories
Programming Note: MASSterList will not publish on Thursday, Nov. 25 and Friday, Nov. 26. We’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, Nov. 29.
With light legislative calendar this week here’s one item that could move forward
With the dust settled on formal sessions for the year, the Legislature heads into Thanksgiving week with informals on the calendar. While we don’t expect any major action, there are a few items that could move forward this week.
One of those items is a bill the House and Senate traded back and forth last week that requires public schools in Massachusetts to teach the history of genocide while setting up a fund to help support new curriculum. Part of the money that heads to the fund would come from fines for hate crimes or civil rights violations.
The House passed the bill on Tuesday, as State House News Service’s Chris Van Buskirk reported, and the Senate agreed with the House version the next day. Speaking from the floor of the House, Rep. David Muradian said as an Armenian American, the legislation is necessary to make sure younger generations don’t forget some of history’s worst atrocities.
“We must educate and shed light on these occurrences as … a warning of another potential genocide that could take place in Armenia and to the Armenian people,” the Grafton Republican said. “I am passionate about this given my ancestors and their struggles, but the Armenians can be swapped out for so many other groups of individuals that have had their ancestors and relatives brutally attacked in the name of ethnic cleaning.”
When the Senate passed the bill, Senate President Karen Spilka said “I believe it is our responsibility to ensure we educate our children on the many instances of genocide throughout history so that they can learn why it is so important that this history is not repeated,” MassLive’s Alison Kuznitz reported at the time.
The House is the next to take action on the legislation. Both branches gavel into session at 11 a.m. this morning.
Daily Counters:
State House Closed: 616 days
Gubernatorial Election: 351 days
Boston pays $4.2 million to resolve lawsuits this year
Boston is paying a decent amount of money to settle lawsuits. Boston Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter reports that the city shelled out over $4 million to resolve 42 lawsuits this year and ran up a $14 million bill to resolve suits over the past five years.
More from Cotter: “Since the start of 2016, the city will have paid out at least $18.4 million in more than 300 settlements and judgments to close out suits, according to data obtained by a Herald records request.”
Parental playbook: Diehl hopes to repeat winning GOP strategy from Virginia
It worked in one commonwealth, why not this one? Amy Soklolow of the Herald reports that GOP gubernatorial hopeful Geoff Diehl is hoping to borrow directly from the successful playbook of Virginia governor-elect Glenn Youngkin by promising to take up the cause of parents who feel left out of the decision-making process in their kids’ schools.
Logan getting ready for holiday travelers
Passengers are set to return to Logan International Airport in droves this holiday season, something that officials haven’t seen for a while because of the pandemic. And as the airport gets ready for them, Boston Globe’s Gal Tziperman Lotan reports that Massport leaders are making a few changes to help improve their experience.
Special court session at Suffolk County jail ends
A special court session held at the Suffolk County jail to hear cases from people with criminal warrants who frequented nearby tent encampments has closed. WBUR’s Deborah Becker reports that the “Boston Municipal Court Community Response Session” drew quite a bit of criticism as it operated for a total of nine days.
Bonus blowback: Some in Everett question question ‘longevity’ payments to mayor
Too much? The Everett City Council could soon vote to end a $40,000 “longevity bonus” that has helped make Mayor Carlos DeMaria the highest-paid mayor in the state, an arrangement that one city councilor calls ‘asinine,’ and prompted a city hall employee to drop a dime to the FBI questioning its legality, the Globe’s Andrea Estes and Jeremiah Manino report.
Boston Globe union approves new contract
After three years of negotiations, the union representing journalists and business-side employees at the Boston Globe ratified a new contract. Boston Business Journal’s Don Seiffert reports that the Boston Newspaper Guild announced Friday that members voted to approve the contract which includes a 3 percent raise and $1,000 contract-signing bonus for union members.
Cape cash clash: Assembly, Commission duke it out over APRA spending
They’ve got $41 million to spend and two conflicting legal opinions. The two branches of government that operate Barnstable County could be headed to court to sort out clashing legal opinions about whether the Board of Regional Commissions or the County Assembly has the right to determine how $41 million worth of ARPA cash will be spent. Jeannette Hinkle of the Cape Cod Times has the details.
Record setter: Franklin County jury awards $10 million to sexual assault survivor
A jury sitting in Franklin County Superior Court in Greenfield on Friday awarded $10 million to a survivor of childhood sexual assault — the largest payout of its type in the nation’s history, Domenic Poli of the Recorder reports.
Study finds pandemic created physical, mental health challenges for AAPI community
A new study from a trio of public health experts found the pandemic led to physical and mental health challenges for the Asian and Pacific Islander community. Mutian Qiao for the MetroWest Daily News reports that the study found the AAPI population had disproportionately higher mortality rates in a handful of states like Nevada and Utah.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Reps. Pressley, Lynch land $15M for Blue Hill Avenue project – Dorchester Reporter
Boston’s first gentleman is also a first – Boston Globe
Massachusetts
Danvers “Vigil of Inclusion” held after hate crime reports – Salem News
Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno proposes cuts in residential and commercial tax rates – MassLive
Nation
Biden and aides tell allies he is running in 2024 amid growing Democratic fears – Washington Post
More Americans say it’s unlikely they will ever have children: poll – The Hill
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